Search found 371 matches

Do those tea heater pillars that stand around in the second living room of the Hazuki residence or the harbor loung exist in that form in Japan? And how do they work? Electrical or with some kind of fire inside?

They burn kerosene as fuel. They're still available in Japan but these days are probably considered a bit old-fashioned or nostalgic, since air con / electric heaters are more common.

I found a page with photos of one that looks similar to the one in Ryo's house:http://aladdin-aic.com/products/bf/bf3905/

I see! Thank you very much, that's the kind of information I was looking for!Those heaters in the link really do look similar with that metal grate around them for protection I guess? They only seem to be smaller then the ones in Shenmue.

Right, in fact there's also a video (complete with music that wouldn't feel out of place in Shenmue!) showing how the grill section tips up for lighting the heater.http://aladdin-aic.com/products/bf/howto/index.html

It's another nice attention to detail in the game. A Japanese wooden house like the Hazukis' would get pretty cold in winter.

A random thing I hadn't really noticed before, about one of the objects in the Hazuki residence. In the kitchen next to the fridge is a kind of box, standing on the floor. It may not be immediately apparent what it is. http://www.mobygames.com/images/shots/l/45602-shenmue-dreamcast-screenshot-let-s-get-some-food-from-the-kitchen.jpg I realized it's most likely a container designed for storing raw rice ready for cooking.Some actual rice containers for comparison... http://www7a.biglobe.ne.jp/~marunaga/images/DSCN46151.jpg Thought I'd mention it in case anyone may have wondered about it. :)

A fellow Dojo member was looking for someone to translate the full text of the recent Famitsu article interview with Yu Suzuki - so here's a rough translation of the interview text + picture captions.

Link to original article (Japanese): http://imgur.com/a/tSsnL Link to summary of the main points in English that was made by Varion on NeoGAF: http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=168899118&postcount=6043

Interview Text (F=Famitsu, YS=Yu Suzuki)

F: The title "Shenmue 3" is one that has a huge impact, and it was a real surprise when it was announced. So first of all, with 14 years having passed since the previous game Shenmue 2, please tell us why and how the decision to make Shemue 3 came about.YS: Bringing the sequel to reality isn’t something that was just started recently. Even more than 10 years since Shenmue 2, there are still many passionate fans and whenever I attend events or autograph sessions overseas I’m always asked about when Shenmue 3 will be coming. For example, at my autograph sessions in France, 80% of the fans are Shenmue fans. Of the rest, 10% are Virtua Fighter fans, and the remaining 10% are fans of Hang-On etc. Even now, firm fans run and manage communities. For some reason, every year around March and April, I have been hearing rumors about Shenmue 3 being released (laughs).

F: Expressions of hope for a sequel soon become rumors, don’t they (laughs).YS: Right. But as time went on the voice of the fans began to weigh on me more and more: “Please publish the rest of the story, even if it’s just as a novel”, “We want to see a new Shenmue published, even just in manga format” and so on. So, to try to answer the feelings of the users in some small way, I decided to myself: “Even if it turns out not to be possible to create the game with all extra features, I'll do what I can to bring about the sequel”.F: What is the reason you chose Kickstarter as the method?YS: About 3 years ago, a fan who had used Kickstarter suggested I try it. That’s when I first heard about Kickstarter, and I investigated it further. I couldn’t immediately promise we would use Kickstarter because I wanted to be sure we would be able to use it to produce something that will live up to the expectations of the fans. I looked at other methods of making Shenmue 3, such as finding a partner company, but I wasn’t able to find one that suited my criteria. After consideration, I concluded that Kickstarter was the best approach, and finally now in 2015 I have been able to make the announcement.F: You have often mentioned in the past that you’d like to make the sequel, but it really took a long period of preparation.YS: Yes. The tremendous response to the Shenmue panel at GDC 2014 served as a boost to bring us to where we are now. Sega Games has gladly provided the license, and SCE has also expressed their encouragement for the creation of this Shenmue. It’s quite unusual to announce a Kickstarter project at SCE’s conference, but I am truly happy at everyone’s support for Shenmue.F: The title of the sequel is simply “Shenmue 3”, isn’t it.YS: No other title really came to mind. Shenmue 3 is the next part of the series leading from Shenmue 1 and 2. It’s not a spin-off. The hardware it will run on is PS4 as well as PC.F: As the highly-anticipated legitimate sequel, I’m sure the fans will be delighted. By the way, what is the target amount for the Kickstarter campaign?YS: 200 million yen (approx $2m) is the initial target.F: Given that this is Shenmue, the amount of 200 million yen will surely be reached readily.YS: Having said that, 200 million yen is the minimum amount for the game to come into existence. At that level, the content would be focused on the story. The collection of additional funding would allow me to bring into reality what I would really like to include. I would like to do new things.F: Your outlook of “wanting to make new things” is something that you have always held to, isn’t it.YS: Yes. I will be trying my best to achieve this with the new Shenmue sequel also.F: Please give us more details later on. By the way, what kind of rewards do you have planned for your Kickstarter backers?YS: As much as possible, I would like to include people’s input in the development process. For example, if there are two possible story directions for a character (say A and B), we could hold a poll to ask everyone which they prefer. I would like to give as a reward the right to participate in this kind of vote. And I also intend to allow players to experience part of Shenmue 3 while it is under development.F: In other words, creating Shenmue 3 together with the fans.YS: Since I expect the core of the backers will be individuals, I would like to make each one of them happy. Please have a look at the details of the rewards are listed on the Shenmue 3 Kickstarter page.

F: Next, I would like to ask about the key content of Shenmue 3. What kind of story developments can be expected in Shenmue 3?YS: At the end of Shenmue 2 Ryo visits Guilin, said to be the most beautiful region in China. The area is famous for landscape paintings, and it has a river called the Li river. Shen Hua’s house is located on a tributary of the river. The story of Shenmue 2 ends at the point where Ryo reaches Shen Hua’s house, and the story of Shemue 3 continues right from there.F: So, Ryo and Shen Hua will make an appearance, continuing from the previous part.YS: For people who have played the Shenmue series, those familiar characters will appear as they were.F: Will the setting be Guilin?YS: Yes. For example, visiting a town(s) in the Guilin area, or going back to the mountains. Also infiltrating the Guilin chapter of an underground organization, the Chi You Men. F: It could be said that Shenmue is the originator of open world gameplay, and has influenced many games since, but for Shenmue 3 what direction do you plan to take the open world model?YS: When I created Shenmue 1, I was aiming to create exactly what is now called an “open world”. Being able to stop freely at any location you wish, advancing if you wish to move the story forward, or just standing still if you prefer. Back then, we called the system “FREE”, but in time it came to be referred to as open world. In Shenmue 2, with advances and technology and techniques, the open world was expanded even further. F: In Shenmue 2, it was possible to walk through many towns over a wide area of Hong Kong, wasn’t it.YS: Actually, at that time, I had decided that for Shenmue 3 I would delve in more deeply.F: More deeply?YS: Yes. People might expect that the open world would be made even broader, but in contrast to that, I will focus on depth. For example, for the case of 100 characters, splitting the development budget among them would limit the elements that could be incorporated into each character.F: That’s true, it would make it harder to create each with detail.YS: However, if we reduce the number to 10 characters, a lot of possibilities are opened up. The amount of conversation could be increased 10 times, or detailed A.I. provided for each character. As a result, conversations could be much richer. As an example, in Shenmue 3 the person that Ryo will speak with most is Shen Hua, so I want to portray her with depth. I envisage an approach where, by settings parameters for Shen Hua, on-going conversations with her will influence events such as changing her attitude, or changing the way that quests relating to her unfold. F: I see. I think a lot of support for Shenmue comes not from just the realistic towns, but from the realism of the people inhabiting it. From what you have described, this realism will be further increased, and the world will feel even more “human”. YS: Yes. In Shenmue this time I will be focusing particularly on digging down further on such internal aspects.F: This is your vision for the new Shenmue, isn’t it.YS: Of course, that’s not to say it will not be open world. Stretch goals will allow the town(s) to be expanded. However, what I would like to try first is to develop something that everyone has not anticipated; a deep Shenmue world.

F: I can’t wait to see this new Shenmue. Speaking of Shenmue, apart from its open world, its QTEs and minigames made it special, didn’t they.YS: QTEs were originally included so that even people who were poor at battles could enjoy them. I’m happy that various games have included QTEs since then.F: QTEs also had their origin in Shenmue, didn’t they.YS: This time, I would like to show new QTEs; ones which can played by anyone, and which have carefully-crafted event sequences. In addition, I’d like to change the nature of free battles. (I will think of a different name, as I don’t want to call them free battles). I’d like to make a battle that is won by making the correct decision, rather than by correct timing of pushing buttons.F: I believe Shenmue was made with the concept of being a game that can be enjoyed by any player, and this new system feels to be in keeping with that.YS: Also this time I am planning a “technique scrolls” system. Ah.... maybe I have said too much (laughs).F: Not at all, we’d like to hear more! (laughs)YS: For example, with the free battle it is tough to practice and input the various commands required, so simply by obtaining a technique scroll you can apply the technique to help you win a battle. In the case of a QTE, the new technique could be unleashed during the QTE. I would like to make it so that a technique can be used to your advantage in battle just by obtaining a technique scroll. Furthermore, I’d like to make that technique scroll connect with various elements within the game.F: Could you explain a bit more with respect to “connecting with elements”?YS: Shenmue has had a number of ways you could play around, such as mini-games and gambling spots, but I have always been thinking about how to connect these together in some way. Of course, they are connected in the sense that you can take a part-time job to earn money, then increase that amount by gambling, then buy weapons... but not that kind of connection, something much closer. If the stretch goals can be reached and more detailed elements incorporated into the open world, this will allow technique scrolls to serve as the pivot for connecting together the various side games. That’s the kind of direction I would like to take it.F: I see. So various elements of the open world will be connected together in a more natural way. Apart from that, are there any other elements that you are keen to include in Shenmue 3?YS: One particular part of Shenmue that fans seem to have fallen in love with is the forklift part-time job, which is extremely popular. So I really want to include it in Shenmue 3 too, but how can you operate a forklift deep in the mountains of Guilin (laughs). I haven’t stopped thinking about how to find some way to include a forklift (laughs).

F: Please tell us about the development set-up for Shenmue 3.YS: This time, the main development company is Neilo. The representative for Neilo, Takeshi Hirai, worked as the chief programmer for Shenmue and has a good understanding of Shenmue. F: Since Shenmue is an open world game, I had thought that working with an overseas development company that is experienced in open world games would have been an option.YS: Yes, that may have been an option. However, the main distinguishing characteristic of Shenmue is its culture. I believe that users overseas also have taken interest in the culture and customs of Asia. People have said they appreciate it when Ryo says “Thank you” for the smallest thing, for example. Someone who has worked all along on creating Shenmue understands that kind of culture and values.F: So this time, development will be using Unreal Engine 4, won’t it.YS: I have been looking at various engines for Shenmue 3 for the past 3 years, but the colors of Unreal Engine 4 are closest to those I envisage for the world of Shenmue. Although that’s a pretty broad statement, given that it’s a technical topic. The feeling of slight dampness in the air, the skin colors, the feel of materials etc were closest to my ideal.F: Apart from the Neilo staff, are there others participating who have worked with Shenmue before?YS: Yes, of course. I wanted to build up the team with past members as I believe that gives the fans some reassurance. Among others are scenario writer Masahiro Yoshimoto, and Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of the character designs.F: Given that this project is coming to life 14 years after the previous release of Shenmue, everyone must be very surprised.YS: Mr Yoshimoto has been active in the world of television, and reacted with surprise saying “With television, producing something new with a theme that is 14 years old is unheard of”. But Mr Yoshimoto told me that he made many discoveries through his experience with Shenmue. Later on, I plan to release a video with comments from Mr Yoshimoto and the rest of the staff, so please watch out for it.F: We are looking forward to seeing it. The fans are sure to be happy.YS: I have gathered together quite a few of the original key members who gave Shenmue that special feel. I’m sure this will bring a feeling of both reassurance and nostalgia.F: By the way, it may be a bit impatient to ask, but do you already have in mind how things will progress after Shenmue 3?YS: Of course, I have that in mind. But first and foremost, I’d like to put primary focus on Shenmue 3.F: When is the planned release date for Shenmue 3?YS: I’d like to release it by the end of 2017.F: That’s quite some way off, but we can’t wait. From speaking with you today, I can really appreciate the challenges that you are taking on of producing a new Shenmue. Finally, do you have a message for all the fans who have waited all this time for Shenmue 3?YS: The fans have told me over the course of 14 years how they wanted part 3 to be made, and I have always told myself that I had to find some way to make it. And now, through the crowd-funding of Kickstarter, at last I have been able to make a start on the Shenmue 3 project. In order to bring about a Shenmue 3 that incorporates a perfect blend of both a Shenmue that everyone desires, as well as a Shenmue with the new challenges I want to take on, everyone’s effort is needed. Thank you so much for your support.

Picture captions:1) This image shows the figures of Ryo and Shen Hua walking on a mountain path. Note that Ryo has changed clothes from the leather jacket he wears in the first and second parts of the series.2) Using a telescope, Ryo observes buildings below a cliff. According to Yu Suzuki, before Ryo lies the enemy’s camp, which Ryo is searching for a way to infiltrate.3) Shen Hua and Ryo, drawn by Kenji Miyawaki who is in charge of character design for the series. Shen Hua, the main heroine, did not appear much in the first and second parts of the series. In Shenmue 3, she will surely take a principle role.4) Niao Sun, one of the leaders of the underground organisation opposing Ryo, the Chi You Men. Although her existence has previously been revealed, she has not made an in-game appearance until now.

Here you go, hopefully a bit more readable than Google's effort (just translating the part relating to Shenmue).

Interview with Andrew House (CEO of Sony Computer Entertainment)

AV Watch:

Three huge titles were announced today, with each receiving standing ovations at the press conference. Being there in the room myself, it was such a moving and joyful event.

Of the three, regarding Shenmue III in particular: will SCE be providing development support from a funding point of view? To a certain extent, has a limited contract been formed between Yu Suzuki and the studio for the raising of funds?

Andrew House:

Yes, that’s correct.

To add a bit more to that, originally Yu Suzuki formed the intention to carry out the development by raising funds through Kickstarter. That was the start of it all. The moment I and our team heard that, we thought “This is interesting” and we decided we wanted to support it, one way or another.

However before that, we wanted to confirm if there was really the fan base. Sony would then provide backing upon the crowd funding reaching its goal. Consequently, for the consoles the title will be exclusive to the PS4.

But either way Suzuki wanted to do this through Kickstarter. That being the case, we also want to give our support. And I believe our holding the announcement at the recent press conference is a large expression of that support, because from the stage we can let everyone know about its existence.

We’re not talking about our power, though! The success is due to the power and popularity that Shenmue already holds. Even Kickstarter apparently became temporarily unavailable due to the concentrated accesses -- amazing.

Here's a translation for a Yu Suzuki interview published by Inside-Games on June 17. http://www.inside-games.jp/article/2015/06/17/88607.html

Capsule Toys Maniac working on the translation for the second interview with Yu Suzuki they published on June 20.

[E3 2015] Interview with Yu Suzuki following his Kickstarter achievement June 17, 2015

The Shenmue 3 Kickstarter: the campaign got underway on stage at the SCE press conference held on June 15 (local time), and achieved its minimum goal in the short space of just 8 hours. It is now aiming to achieve stretch goals, and the amount of backing is continuing to increase as it heads towards the deadline of July 17. At the E3 venue we asked the creator of Shenmue, Yu Suzuki of Ys Net, about his most recent thoughts and about the enthusiasm for Shenmue 3.

-- Congratulations on the Kickstarter achievement.

YS: Thank you. At any rate, it’s the first time I’ve done this, so I don’t have much experience with it. When I heard that the sheer number of accesses to the Shenmue 3 project page on Kickstarter caused it to crash multiple times, I knew we would be successful. This may sound bad, but I was happy. I heard that the times it took to reach the $1 million and $2 million levels are a new record within the games category, and second-fastest across all projects. Since it’s my first experience [with Kickstarter], it’s only through those kinds of statistics that I get a sense of the reality.

-- How do you feel at the moment? Pleased? Relieved? A deserved result?

YS: Well, things are really just getting started. I’m always looking to try new challenges, and so in order to take on as many of these as possible, the more budget we can collect the better. We’ve got stretch goals as well, and I’d like to see how far we can go.

-- Is it accurate to say that all of the development funding will be raised through Kickstarter?

---Show to continue reading --- YS: No, development will be carried out with Ys Net own funding together with Kickstarter. I won’t know the scale of the budget until the Kickstarter campaign has finished, so I can’t comment on it right now.

-- What were the events that led to you being on stage at SCE’s press conference?

YS: It started by my sounding them out to see if they had any interest in the Shenmue 3 project. Actually, it turns out that Shenmue was at the top of their list of software that people wanted to see revived. And so, with that being the case, I had the chance to speak with SCE and (without sounding like I’m blowing my own trumpet!) they told me “It’s a game of great historical importance; and everyone wants it, so if you were to go ahead and develop part 3, as an exceptional case, we will give you our co-operation”. I had already let them know that I wanted to do this through Kickstarter, and so that’s how it came about.

-- Are there plans for a release on Xbox One?

YS: We don’t have plans for a release on Xbox One. The platforms that are confirmed are PS4 and PC.

-- Was the reason you started development on part 3 due to the voice of support from the fans?

YS: That’s right. For more than 10 years I had been hearing those kinds of requests, and trying to find a way to make it happen. I did things like searching for a partner (company) but did not find one that fit the criteria and so I wasn’t able to make a start. Then came the possibility of realizing it through a combination of self-funding and Kickstarter.

-- I see.

YS: Also there was the aspect of Kickstarter of “creating something together with everyone”. As I stated in my promotion video, it’s the spirit of “within your hands”. Some say that the Shenmue series is the originator of the open-world genre. In reality, with the present amount of $2 million, making a Shenmue that will meet everyone’s expections, even without implementing an open world, is unlikely to be achievable. However, the demand I hear most from the fans is to know how the rest of the story plays out.

-- Yes, that’s something we’d like to know.

YS: In addition, the Shenmue series has a rich portrayal of Eastern and Japanese culture, and so it has quite a different feel to it compared to any other open world games. Because of this, trying to accomplish both the “story” aspect and the “open world” aspects simultaneously is likely to lead to the budget rising higher and higher, and no matter how much time passes it is impossible to get development underway. After thinking long and hard, I have decided to do as much as possible with a minimum level of funding, even if it means creating something story-oriented. Then, if additional development funding is collected, I will add on various elements. And so I decided that development will be based on this kind of scalable approach.

-- This way of thinking is uniquely suited to Kickstarter, isn’t it.

YS: Further, with [development of] any game, there is a piece of it which can easily cost a lot of money to implement; while at the same time it has another piece that doesn’t need to cost a lot of money, namely making it interesting through its ideas and plot. I also think that Shenmue does not consist of merely its story and its open world; it is also fun to play, and I think the way we capture this is vital. Above all, I decided to maintain both the fun and the story aspects, even at the minimum budget level.

-- How much money will be raised is becoming increasingly of interest.

YS: Yes. It’s not that we will not be implementing an open world, but doing so lavishly will cause the budget to shoot up. On the other hand, since I am a creator, I’d like to try new mechanisms. I have set stretch goals with that balance in mind.

-- Compared to 15 years ago, the possibilities for game implementation have greatly widened. Are there any games that have influenced the creation of part 3?

YS: That would be Shenmue 1 and 2.

-- What aspects do you place most importance on, and wish to continue in the new game?

YS: Firstly, the most important is that I want to show how the story continues. As well as that, “nostalgia” is a keyword here: the nostalgic feeling of when we created part 1 and 2, 15 years ago. But even at that time, the setting for part 1 and 2 was the world of 1986. In principle, I believe that going back to an earlier age really brings out the flavor of a region’s culture. That’s the case with the era of the 1980s (and earlier), compared to the current day. Even looking at other countries around the world, as the eras pass by, the scenery of cities all starts to look the same.

-- Yes, that’s true.

YS: This kind of Eastern and Japanese culture, and the spiritual aspect, is what makes Shenmue special. Although though this has given it popularity in the West, what it expresses is certainly not Western. Through thorough creation of so-called Eastern spiritual aspects, culture and customs, I want to bring out people’s interest towards a different culture. There are a lot of things I would like to carry through from parts 1 and 2 to part 3, but through the scalable plan that I mentioned earlier, I want to pay special attention to these kinds of things.

-- Are there any aspects you want to try, given the increase in hardware specs nowdays?

YS: This may not directly answer the question, but actually when we made part 1 and 2, we also completed the plan for part 3. I want to go forward with that exactly as we had planned.

-- Could you explain more?

YS: In part 1, we implemented an open world that we called FREE, and the concept of time passing within the game. In part 2, we greatly expanded that world. In part 3, and this may be giving too much away, but we planned to keep these aspects intact, while making it much deeper. And in parts 1 & 2, while there were elements centered around money e.g. you could “do a part-time job, gamble to increase your money, purchase items at a shop...”, they did not really have any connection with the fighting and skill improvement parts. So when we make part 3, I have in mind to build up those elements; that’s something I would like to try doing.

-- What would be a concrete example?

YS: I’m thinking of a “Technique Scroll” system. Through actions in the game, you can gain new technique scrolls which let you perform special moves. Whether these moves are something you can control directly, or whether they are implemented in a QTE, is something we will be considering and deciding in the future.

-- Please tell us about the release schedule.

YS: Release is planned by the end of 2017.

-- Could you give a message to our readers.

YS: It is thanks to the continous voice of the fans who have waited for the next part of Shenmue across these many years, that we have been able to get started. This is only possible thanks to all the people who give their support. I will continue to put in my best effort, so please give your support and encouragement.

Note: Index to all completed translations referenced in this thread below.

I've created this thread for anyone to request English translations of anything relating to Shenmue III, so we can share the content of non-English media with the community as soon as possible. This will also make it easier for people to check here to see if there's anything they can help out with.

Request a translation : if you have come across an article / interview etc that hasn't yet had a translation into English, just post its link here.

Working on a translation : anyone is free to help with translation! Your time and effort will be greatly appreciated by all members of the Dojo. Just post a quick reply to let everyone know which item you are working on. Once completed, the translation should be posted to a separate thread for better visibility.

Please double-check that the item is not already being worked on / has not already been translated elsewhere before posting.

Here are a few quick Q&A snippets I translated from an interview with Yu Suzuki published online by GAME Watch ( June 19 article ). The interview timing was just after the first $2 million Kickstarter milestone was passed.

I skipped most of the Q&A since they were pretty much what has been covered before, and picked out the following few :

First Kickstarter goal reached! Interview with Yu Suzuki on Shenmue 3

--- Will you be adding members to the development team going forward?YS: The core team members will be from Neilo, but I have in mind certain other people who I would also like to ask to join - “if this much funding is raised, I'll invite that person...”, there a few people like that.

-- As part of the Kickstarter rewards, there is the $10,000 “Dinner with Yu Suzuki” reward, and the 3 available places were filled in an instant, weren't they. What do you plan to talk about with the participants at the dinner?YS: The reason I particularly limited the number to just 3 people is because I wanted to spend plenty of time speaking with each of them one at a time, and really get to know their thoughts. It's not so much a question of what topics we will speak about, but more that I want to be able to take in what they have to say.

-- Is there anything else you can tell us?YS: Since we made the announcement at the PlayStation conference, I am frequently asked whether SCE will be providing funding support. I haven't been able to speak on this until now, but: they will be providing some funding support with respect to development costs. To go further on this topic, we also have other funding planned in addition, but even with that added on, the funding would not have been enough. The funding shortfall is the reason that we started Kickstarter.

Although this is from last week, an article on the Japanese site Doope.jp reports that Neilo Inc (the company responsible for Shenmue III development) is advertising for development staff on the project.

I've translated the article below, as well as some other information of interest straight off Neilo's website .

Article from Doope.jp: Neilo Commences Recruitment of Development Staff to Work on Shenmue IIIJune 16

A short while ago, following the Kickstarter announcement by Yu Suzuki on-stage at the Sony E3 press conference and subsequent raising of over $1.17 million in just the initial few hours, the studio participating in the development of Shenmue III, Neilo Inc., commenced recruitment for new development staff.

The development staff roles are being sought for Shenmue III on PS4 and PC, and include programmers, planners, directors and 3D designers. If you are interested in the project that has at long last gotten started for real, how about checking out the entry criteria on their site. Some stats on Neilo from their site: Number of staff (including contractors, outsourcers, part-timers): 30Average age: 32Male-to-female ratio: 4 to 1 Message from the CEO of Neilo: I’m Hirai, Shenmue’s chief programmer.14 years have passed since the release of Shenmue 2.14 years has been a long wait for all of the fans without seeing a release of the next part.Development of the sequel... for 14 years, whatever I have been doing, this thought has never left my mind.I have received messages of enthusiasm all the time from players and people within the industry.However, in order to construct an environment and team that will realise everyone's expectations will not be an easy task when it comes to the title of Shenmue, as I am sure you will recognize.I founded Neilo 5 years ago, and have whole-heartedly worked on building up an environment and team, aiming at a company able to develop and distribute products to the entire global market.I have always held in my mind the possibility for turning everyone's dream into a reality.And I thought it was quite fitting that the project was launched through Kickstarter. After coordination with each of the parties concerned, one by one, we have at last reached the stage of being able to develop the sequel, Shenmue III.Now it is just a matter of gathering even more teammates who will put their heart into development of this project.Shenmue, a game that everyone has been waiting for.Shenmue, a game that will give you a fun experience as you play.Let's build it together.

Tak Hirai (CEO, Neilo Inc.)June 16

These are the development roles they are recruiting for Shenmue III. They didn't say how many of each role they are looking for. They also give the key skills needed for each role (note: these required skills are not necessarily specific for Shenmue though). * Programmer Skills required: C/C++. Nice-to-have: Java, C#, Objective-C, PHP, HLSL, DirectX, Network, SQL

The recruitment process is to send your resume and work samples etc through their site, then attend one or two interview sessions and then they will make their decision (in case anyone here is interested in applying :D )

What is having a magic maze in Bailu Village means? It sounds interesting. According to this Digital Spy article of highlights from Yu's Shenmue postmortem at the Game Developers Conference 2014, it's a landscape generation technique.

A technique called Magic Maze would create trees, rocks, characters and even the doors and windows seen in Shenmue 2's Kowloon area.

Another technique, Magic Room, "simulated thought process of an interior designer", where an AI constructed and fleshed out a room, and ensured it would be traversable by the player.

Ok, I'm done! Here's a translation of Yu Suzuki's actual answers for comparison. Overall I think the translator on the Twitch session covered the information pretty well, except for maybe some minor detail.

Q: What is Sony’s involvement with Shenmue III?YS: Sony is providing us with support in various ways including marketing, funding and promotion, and they’re our most important partner; they’re also our largest and most valued backer.

We plan to invest all the money collected from everyone through Kickstarter on development, excepting the Kickstarter fees and costs for the rewards. No portion of the collected money will flow to Shibuya Productions or Sony.

Q: PS4 physical reward?YS: This is one of the most requested rewards, and it’s the reward I most want to make happen. Um... Please be patient!

Q: How will Kickstarter funds be spent?YS: Please take a look at this pie chart which I’ve prepared.[Fees: 8 - 10%, Game development: 65 to 72%, Backer rewards: 20 - 25%]

http://i.imgur.com/JtmE4vg.png

Q: Ryo’s appearance...YS: We’ve had a lot of comments about how Ryo’s face looks, but we’ve just got started and so it is still under development. Personally, I’m not satisfied at all either, and so even now we’re continuing to improve it. Today I’ve brought a slightly improved version to show you – it’s not the final version, and we’ll be improving it even further, but I wanted to show you it.

For comparison, we’ve included two shots of Ryo from Shenmue II.

http://i.imgur.com/moKhHjb.jpg

The one at the front is the slightly improved version for Shenmue III. Again, I’m not completely happy with this Ryo – the shape of his mouth is not quite right – and I’d like to make further refinements.

As well as the shape of his face, his facial expressions and his actions also add to his personality and his attractiveness. So going forward I’d like to work on facial expressions and movements in making an attractive Ryo.

Q: Will the original voice actors reprise their roles?YS: I auditioned Masaya Matsukaze and Corey Marshall for Shenmue I & II, and I believe their voices are perfect for Ryo’s voice. So I’d definitely like to have them reprise the role again this time. We’re currently in negotiations and I’m sure they will both be happy to do so, so please look forward to that.

Q: Can PayPal payment be added?YS: I’m considering funding methods other than Kickstarter, including PayPal.

Q: Will a DRM-free version be made available?YS: It’s something that is under consideration at the moment. However it’s not something Ys Net can decide by ourselves, and so discussions are taking place with various parties.

Q: Will HD versions of Shenmue I & II be released?YS: I think that if Shenmue I and II could be released before Shenmue III, people would be able to understand the backstory and enjoy Shenmue III even more. And so I also personally strongly want this to happen, but as the rights are held by Sega I’m not really in a position to be able to comment. However I will also express to Sega that that I really would like for them to be produced.

Q: Details of new rewards?YS: There has been feedback that there are not enough rewards, and so we have added additional rewards. We have prepared $1000, $2000 and $5000 grab bags. The bags will continue various items of Shenmue merchandise, and I think these will be quite exciting. And also at the $5000 level will the one-only prototype of the watch worn by Ryo in the Shenmue games. I have it here to show you... This is the Timex watch worn by Ryo, and it has the YS and Shenmue logos on it. It’s a very rare item.

Q: Details of the grab bags?YS: It includes various things such as special figures of Ryo, watches... these watches are not quite as valuable as the one-of-a-kind one mentioned before; they’re more casual and they also have the Shenmue logo. Anyway, there are a variety of different items included.

Also, we have prepared some of the original art drawn by our main character designer, Miyawaki. These are quite valuable, and are a great reward I think.

In addition to the rewards we have added today, we will be continuing to add further ones in the future, so please look forward to them too.

Q: Tell us about the stretch goals up to $3.6m?YS: Firstly, I’ll talk about the stretch goals up until around the $3.6m mark, which are the most basic goals. The stretch goals up to $3.6m will achieve a story-oriented Shenmue. As further goals are reached, the content for various areas will be correspondingly expanded, but even with the story-oriented version, the plot will develop to reach a confrontation with the 4 leaders {of the Chiyoumen}.

Also, game features like the Rapport system and the Skill Tree system will be included.

Q: Rapport systemYS: With the Rapport system, various data on your interactions with Shenhua will be tracked, such as her level of trust and rapport with you and so on, according to your actions toward her and the way your conversations progress. Later, this will affect how cooperative Shenhua is toward you, for example. I think we’ll be able to express a new and exciting angle to Shenmue that wasn’t present in the previous games.

Q: Skill Tree systemYS: In Shenmue 3, you will be able to obtain move scrolls {“technique scrolls”} in various places – for example, in shops, mini-games, part-time jobs, gambling, quest events. You’ll be able to make immediate use of move scrolls in battle QTEs – for example, once you get a new scroll, you’ll be able to use it straight away as a QTE appearing during a fight. Being able to use it as soon as you have collected it will make it easy and satisfying to use. I think it will be fun to have it appear and be used when fighting. Advanced moves and Arcane scrolls will be managed in a tree structure; these will not become immediately available after obtaining them. Instead, a likeness can be drawn with learning of actual martial arts, where you build up to reach an advanced move through the accumulation of several moves; in a similar way, you will need to build up moves in the tree in order to reach the advanced moves, and I think filling the moves in the tree will be fun.

But you won’t have to build up to the advanced moves by actually participating in fighting (which can become tiresome); instead you just need to accumulate the necessary move scrolls to fill the tree.

Q: Stretch Goals up to $5mYS: If the $5m mark is reached, we will focus on the area of Baisha There will be new types of play here which were not present in Shenmue I & II. Typical classical war strategies from the historical Three Kingdoms period of China, such as seiges and infiltration, will be incorporated.

Features such as “infiltration” may sound as if they will make the game too complicated, but they will be implemented in a way that is in keeping with the feel of the Shenmue games and will be easy to enjoy and engage with for anyone.

As another feature, I am planning a Character Perspective system. To put it simply, it is being able to change the character you play, but in Shenmue it will be done a little differently from other games that have this: in Baisha there will be an event where you will be able to change character in order to accomplish the mission. The player will be able to control not just the character of Ryo, but also other characters such as Shenhua and Ren; Ren has his own distinct personality, and Shenhua as a female has her own viewpoints and decisions; the choices will be different depending on the character you play. So it won’t simply be changing of character, but rather each character’s personality will be expressed and I think this will make for an enjoyable experience.

Q: Stretch Goals to $11mYS: Currently further stretch goals have been announced through to $11m (such as the expanded battle system and so on), I’d like to leave it until next week to talk about these.

Q: Shenmue III at the Current Funding Level (around $3.6m at time of Twitch) vs $10 millionYS: At the current level of funding, as I mentioned earlier the game will be focused on the story. However once we reach $5 million we will be able to introduce aspects such as the Three Kingdoms “war strategies” mentioned earlier which will set it apart from the first two Shenmue games. This is actually the part I would most like to accomplish. If we can go above $10 million, the town of Choubu will be significantly enhanced. The town of Choubu has scenery that is somewhat like, for example, the Dobuita and Yokosuka areas of Shenmue I, and this will open up various options for amusement there. So, above $10 million, we will be able to include both game features that I would like to take on the challenge of including, as well as making the game “open-world like” with an even wider range of choices available.

Q: When is Shenmue III going to be reLEEEAASED? YS: By the end of 2017.

Q: Will Shenmue III end the story?YS: In terms of the 11 chapters that form the basis of the Shenmue story, we have only traversed a little way through these in Shenmue I and II. I did consider completing all the remaining chapters within the third game, but it would mean skipping a lot of the good parts and would not result in a satisfactory game. There were a lot of people who want to know the ending of the story, but in order to make the game as high quality as possible, the end of the story will not be reached in Shenmue III.

Q: Release Date of Demo VersionYS: Providing this at an early stage will be difficult because we need to develop various systems and the game to a certain extent first. It is likely not to be until the latter half of the development period.

I think it won’t be until 2017.

Q: Final CommentYS: I always love doing new things and taking on new challenges, and so I would like to aim for the goal of $10 million in order to produce a Shenmue that is both the one I want to create, and one which everyone wants. I really hope to somehow bring it to reality, and so I would like to ask for everyone’s continued efforts and cooperation. Thank you.

"At the $10 million level, the area Choubu will get a big expansion, and be like Dobuita in Yokosuka where you will have a lot of options to explore and have fun"

so unless we hit 10 million (impossible) we won't have as much to play and explore as Dobuita in the original game... :( Dobuita was smaller than all the areas in Shenmue 2....

About the town size, I listened again to Yu's original words in Japanese on the video to catch the nuances. I can confirm that he doesn't specifically talk about the size of the area; he's just saying it looks similar to somewhere like Dobuita:

YS: "As we move up to and past the $10 million level, the town of Choubu will be {gradually} enhanced. The town of Choubu has a streetscape that's like, for example, Dobuita in Shenmue I, and so a lot of different options for having fun will be made available there".

These amusement options are obviously the Choubu stretch goals starting at $8 million: mini games x4, betting games x4, kung-fu mastery, part time job, game stalls. But let's hope the town itself will be a decent size even at a lower funding level.

Here's a post that Ruji Iuchi put up on his blog yesterday which I've translated. It adds some more background to his experiences with Shenmue I and II. Thanks to Ziming for pointing it out.

Shenmue 32015/07/02

After around 15 years, I'm honored to once again get involved with the sound for Shenmue 3.

I'd like to talk about some things I didn't have time to mention in the video clip. (Sorry for the long post).

I feel very honored to be able to participate in this project, and be able work to compose pieces together again with Yu-san and all the other wonderful creators.

The impression that sticks with me most from working on the previous Shenmue games was being able to work together with the wonderful music staff - such as Yuzo Koshiro from Ancient Corp, who I greatly respect and who invited me onto the project, and Takenobu Mitsuyoshi from Sega - and to actually meet face-to-face with them at the company.I believe that my experiences from that time made the foundation for what I am today.Being able to have the chance to work together with them again is one of my dreams.

I had a lot of discussions and conversations with the sound staff, headed by the sound leaders Miysuyoshi-san and Takagi-san, and even used to sleep overnight at the company.I remember the nap room, the kiosk and the nearby park well.I was also able to observe the other sound people working, and I really learned a lot. The way they edited the voices and sound effects seemed like magic to me...

As I spoke about in my interview, Hayato Matsuo's magnificent orchestral arrangement, Iori's beautiful vocals, the timbre of the Chinese fiddle – these left a strong impression on me. (Iori let me join her on stage, at the piano!)And this will sound like a fanboy, but I was secretly delighted to be able to watch Toshiyuki Watanabe at work on a recording! ^_^

By the way, with Shenhua's theme, initially I asked one of the sound ladies from another department to gently hum it for me, in a way that's "like it's wrapping around you".For the preliminary version of Wish, I had a lady from the Shenmue sound team sing it.And Mitusyoshi-san kindly provided the vocals for the final versions of the Tomato Mart and Bob's Pizzeria songs...!!

I realize how lucky I was to be on the same floor as the sound staff from other departments, and to be able to mix with lots of people who had composed the songs that used to be played at the video arcades I visited as a kid.(We went out a lot for drinks and to play billiards ^_^).

I'm sure that even with a 2-hour program {video} I wouldn't be able to finish expressing my feeling of gratitude with Shenmue 1 and 2 towards everything and all the people who helped me. But I'm afraid I'm no good at speaking in front of people or a camera... ^_^

I'll put in my every effort, poor as that may be, on the music side to produce pieces that everyone will be pleased with and will be able to enjoy for a long time.

Thank you very much.

P.S. I was in two minds as to whether to state this, but – I'm not the composer of the song from the Kickstarter movie although people have been attributing to me... Credit is to the composer of that song.

I'm upping this topic because I spotted something wrong about an information presented by the OP :

" Yu Suzuki says the majority of investment will be from Kickstarter. " I find the mention nowhere in the Axm and Switch's translation of his Famitsu interview .

I think this may be based on the Japanese Famitsu article summary posted on NeoGAF which has the following line: As far as money goes, he expects the game's investment will primarily come from individual backers, so he wants them all to be happy with the finished product. Going back to examine the original interview text, Suzuki's exact words are that he thinks that individuals form the heart/core of the backers . This is the corresponding part from the Dojo's translation: Suzuki: I think every one of the people who invested in this project has a leading role in it and I hope each one of them enjoy it. To an extent it depends on how literally you interpret his words, and how much is implied.

So yeah, I don't think Yu Suzuki gave enough information to make a definitive conclusion about the relative funding contribution from Kickstarter (assuming that is based on this comment).

These two labels are larger than the others:- Water drainage channel (the dashed parallel lines) - Garden Hotel (in the center between the two mountains)

Unfortunately I couldn't find anything definite about the location, but it can be seen from the topography lines on the map that three tall mountain peaks stand in its center, around where the Garden Hotel is located.

2. http://imgur.com/9lRY3to This map also has a number of small shops, many similar to the ones in the first map:- Florist- Butcher- Fresh fish stand- Rice gruel restaurant- Fruit shop- Greengrocer- Drugstore- Tea shop- Restaurant- Noodle stand- Portrait shop- Candy store

Also there is a potential clue about the location of this map! At the top you can see a large rectangular area labelled 盤門. According to Wikipedia , this is the name of a gate (called Pan Gate in English) that is part of an ancient city wall located in Suzhou, eastern China. https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e6/20090926_Suzhou_Pan_Men_5941.jpg/320px-20090926_Suzhou_Pan_Men_5941.jpg

I find the second map particularly intriguing, as there seems to be a gap between the village and the mountain. If peter is correct and this area is within Hong Kong it could potentially be a fishing village like Tai O, which largely exists on stilts above the sea:http://i.imgur.com/hPhXSX9.jpg Nice hypothesis! Even the mountains in the background are similar to those on the map.

Another point of interest: there are several star symbols marked at certain points on the map, which are unlabelled. http://i.imgur.com/K8rOVoQ.png There are 6 of these small stars scattered through the village area, and 1 large star on the island. Something they have in common is that they are all located at places where the land meets the sea, so I'm guessing they are related to interaction with the sea in some way.

Since the map shows a complete island, presumably access would need be by boat. For example, the large star on the island is a small kind of bay, so this could be where you arrive at the island / return by boat to the mainland. Maybe the smaller stars are convenient jump points to get back again (e.g. asking a local to take you). Either that, or they indicate places where you can fish as a mini-game...? :)

YsNet is advertising for development staff. Translation of the tweet : We have started recruiting for developers!If you are passionate about games, we're waiting for your application!http://www.ysnet-inc.jp/

Working Conditions Type of employment: contractor, outsourcingCompensation: decided based on experience and ability, and following company policies.Working hours: 10am ~ 7pmDays off: 2 days off per week (Saturday, Sunday), public holidays, summer vacation, end of year / New Year vacation etc

Qualifications for Applying High school graduate or above, age 18+Must be cheerful, healthy and responsibleFor applicants not having Japanese citizenship: ability to conduct business communication, such as reading and writing, in Japanese

(Actually Shenmue III is not specifically mentioned anywhere, but I guess it's a given.)

Neilo started recruiting for development staff a couple of weeks back - thread here .

Hey man, where it says 'twin room' etc...what's the significance, if any, of the "18" characters? With Japanese floorplans it's common to refer to the floor area of a room by the number of tatami mats that would fit in it, even if the room doesn't actually contain mats. With these twin rooms, each has an area of 18 tatami mats. The standard area of one mat is 1.653 square meters, so this converts to around 29 square meters in size.

Currently playing Shenmue I with absurdly high brightness settings. They're amazed at the loo in the Hazuki residence :lol: :D

I see there are over 16000 viewers already for the playthrough, not bad.

By the way, I'm thinking of doing a (detailed) translation for the Yu Suzuki session later, assuming one won't be provided. If anyone else is already planning to do one, please let me know so we can avoid accidentally doubling up on it - or maybe we could split it. Thanks!

Translation of this tweet by Yu Suzuki? youtu.be/M4nG7m0FZhc 感動しました。みなさんの想いを痛感します。KSキャンペーンも残り1週間を切りました。みなさんの想いに少しでも近づけるため、引き続き応援お願いいたします。 "I was really moved.I feel everyone's sentiments and anticipation very strongly.The Kickstarter campaign now has less than a week remaining.In order to get even a little closer to bringing about these wishes, please continue to give your support."